


Of Ashes and Memories

by Kibbles



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans - All Media Types, The Flash - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: #DickWallyweek2019, Angst and Feels, Dick is still grieving, M/M, Mention of Death, Mention of cancer, WALLY IS DEAD, mention of euthanasia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 07:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19352491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kibbles/pseuds/Kibbles
Summary: Written for Birdflash week, day 2 - "Roadtrip"Loxley was Wally's dog. He was also everything that Dick had left to remember his deceased beloved.





	Of Ashes and Memories

It only took a week for the vet to call.

It was early afternoon, a light rain sprinkled the roads of Central City where people went on through their busy day. The sun rays could be seen attempting to pierce through the clouds, giving off a still pleasant setting. Dick loved Central City for that. Unlike Gotham or Bludhaven, the town felt like it was in a permanent good mood no matter what the Universes threw at it.

Fetching the phone that had been swallowed by the couch, Dick quickly swiped the answering button. "Hello?"

The voice that answered was soft, feminine and empathetic. "Good afternoon, I am calling from Caring Claws veterinary hospital." Dick felt a lump form in his throat; he knew what the call was going to be about, and he was not sure if he was ready to hear it. The receptionist first asked to speak to either Mr. Grayson or Mr. West. When he identified as one of them, she explained that she was calling to let them know Loxley's ashes had returned.

Dick thanked her before ending the short conversation. Sitting on the green couch, he felt as if he was going to become one with the furniture. His mind wandered back to the late nights of watching TV with Wally and Loxley, all three of them snuggled on the old couch.

   Loxley had been here before Dick moved in with his boyfriend. He was a handsome sable rough collie who was also a tripod. Wally had told Dick that when he was three months old, Loxley developed a cancerous mass on his leg and the breeder had surrendered him to the veterinarian as the vet suggested he might be able to give him a chance. Wally knew the vet and offered to adopt the puppy once the surgery to remove the leg was done. The veterinarian had warned him of the possibilities the mass could grow back, or that the puppy might not do well while under anesthesia. While living with just three legs wouldn't be a problem for the pup, there would be some rehabilitation and frequent visits he would have to go through. This, of course, was no problem into Wally's mind and, a few days later, he came home with little Loxley.  
The first few months had been difficult; between potty training, puppy classes and the frequent vet visits. But Wally would always say it was all worth it because Loxley was a brave, gentle and smart dog. Both of them had grown attached quite fast, and they were rarely seen apart.  
When Dick moved in, Loxley was about five years old. Maybe it was because of his gentle nature or because they had seen each other so many times before, but Loxley let him become part of the family rather fast. While Wally took him out for runs at dawn, Dick enrolled him into a small agility class where Loxley showed that being a tripod was not going to slow him down.

 

    Loxley had been a constant for the couple and played a crucial role in Dick's grieving process after Wally passed away in a car accident. Both man and dog expressed their affections through small gestures, through small actions that made the other feel a little better. At night, when Dick couldn't sleep and laid awake in the now too big bed, Loxley would curl up into a ball and let his head rest on Dick's stomach. The first time it happened, Dick burst out in tears as this was how Loxley always slept with his owner. When the collie seemed to grieve, Dick would shake the leash and take him for a short run by the lake.  
From then on, Dick and Loxley were always seen together. They would go to the farmers market on Sunday to pick fresh vegetables. Dick took Loxley to work at the police station where he installed a rectangular memory foam bed by his desk where Loxley slept during working hours. One night in summer, the two of them were even spotted sharing an ice cream cone.

Together, they went to a day-long hike that they had done multiple times with Wally. The view at the end was always so breathtaking. Standing on top of the mountain, the overview of the lake, mountain and trees made Wally feel like he was flying. With his arms stretched out, his eyes closed and smiling widely as the wind brushed his cheeks, Wally always said that in his next life he would be reincarnated as a bird and make a nest right there.  
However, at this time only Dick and Loxley were standing at the top of the mountain. After they both took a drink of water, Dick grabbed an urn from his backpack. "Here we are Walls." He muttered, a small, bittersweet smile on his face. "I hope your wish to come back as a bird came true." Opening the urn, Dick let the ashes of his lover go with the wind. He could feel tears run down his cheeks as a small sob escaped his mouth. Loxley was sitting next to him, attentively watching through wise brown eyes.

 

    Unfortunately shortly after Loxley turned eight, a small lump popped from the shoulder of his missing leg. Dick had booked an appointment to the vet to have it checked, biopsies were done, and the results confirmed what Dick was fearing: Loxley's cancer was back. He proceeded to have a long discussion with the vet, about options and quality of life. Dick wasn't ready to say goodbye to another friend, and so they opted to monitor and begin some treatments.  
It started with medications, which Loxley seemed to tolerate pretty well. Aside from the mass growing back even shortly after the biopsies had been done, the dog seemed perfectly fine. He was still eating, still enjoyed his runs and agility trials. Loxley always looked happy and didn't seem to notice the changes.

 

But Dick did.

 

When Loxley turned ten, the poor boy had slowed down tremendously. Daily runs became walks, agility days were replaced with snuggles on the couch, and when the time came, Loxley let Dick know.  
Dick stayed during the whole appointment, comforting his best friend as the vet injected the produce through his vein. He watched as Loxley sighed one more time before his head gently titled as it rested on his leg.

And here he was now. Sitting on the old green couch, phone in his hand and feeling numb all over again. He glanced at the sympathy card that was standing on the drawer, surrounded by his old friend's leash and collar.

 _Tomorrow_ , he told himself, _I will take you to Wally_.

 

 

   Dick arrived early at the clinic the next day. He greeted the receptionist and didn't need to tell her the reason for his visit. She came back with a small brown bag which had Loxley's name written on it along with his and Wally's. Even after his passing, Dick didn't have the heart to get Wally's name removed from their file. The young lady offered her condolences and, after thanking her, he hurried out of the building as he felt tears welling in his eyes.  
Gently, he placed the bag on the passenger seat before starting the car. The traffic was a little busier than usual as people were driving to work or school, but Dick didn't get angry. He had all his time; he had taken the day off so he could make this journey at his own pace. A woman was telling the news on the radio until Dick fumbled with his phone to Bluetooth in a playlist he and Wally had created over the years. It was a mix of various songs, ranging from peppy music to quiet indie that they enjoyed listening (and sometimes, singing) over and over again.

After an hour of driving, the car left the highway and entered an unpaved road. The disturbed dust rose up in the air, and the car shook from side to side as it drove over jagged rocks. Dick parked the car under the shade of a tree; there were already two other vehicles parked on the path's side but no signs of their owners. Stepping out, Dick opened the trunk of his car and took out a well-used backpack. It was patched up in some corners, and the zipper was difficult to move through some areas, but Dick never had the heart to throw the old bag away. A bell was attached to the hip belts to ward off any unwanted wildlife encounters; a blue flask was securely placed in one of the water bladders. Inside the smaller pocket in the front, Dick found some old and stale energy bars which were now joined by a Ziploc containing some trail mix and his phone.  
After a few cursing words and a short struggle with the main pocket's zipper, Dick checked the content of the first aid kit. It was mostly out of habit, as he was diligent in replacing any missing or expired materials. Dick felt a pinch in his chest as he found Loxley's emergency collar and leash. His mind went back to the little paper bag the vet's receptionist had given him earlier. Sighing as he braced himself, Dick peeked inside and saw an envelope addressed to him along with a small, square cardboard box. With all the delicateness of the world, Dick took the box in his hands. It wasn't as light as he thought it would, and he could feel the tears well up in his eyes as he thought of its content. "I'm sorry buddy." Without adding any words, Dick secured the box on the side of the backpack where another water bottle would usually be placed before setting off to the beginning of the hike.

While it was still early morning, the temperature was already reaching 20 degrees; however, the gentle breeze and the shade from the trees made it more manageable. Dick listened to Nature talk; the different birds singing in various languages, the wind ruffling the leaves. He could make out the sound of a woodpecker's beak hitting a trunk not too far. In a flower bush on his left, bees were buzzing and hard at work.

It was all so soothing.

 

It took a few hours with some breaks for him to reach the top and to find Wally and his' favourite spot. As always, the view was mesmerizing, and Dick felt as if he could reach the clouds just by raising his arm.  
Sitting down with his back resting against a tree trunk, Dick smiled as he began an inner monologue.

"Hey Walls, it's been a while. I know I haven't been there for a few months, but so much has happened. I didn't have the time to visit you. If you're watching over us, you probably know what's been going on. Donna won the photography contest and is off to expose her work in England. My brother and Roy got into some more trouble, again." Dick chuckled. "Yeah, no, it doesn't surprise me either."

 

A small pause.

 

"Lox's cancer came back." Dick's expression turned grim. "I tried to keep him comfortable. He was such a trooper; his tail wagged even though he knew that he was going to get poked and prodded." Then, a small smile. "He was just like you, a little ball of light energy."

 

The hours passed, and before long, it was already close to 6:00 PM. "Alright, it's time." Dick shuffled through his backpack and took out the cardboard box. He looked at it some more, feeling an ounce of hesitation as he stood close to the cliff. A little voice inside him begged him not to let Loxley go, for it feared to be completely alone. Steading his breath, Dick hushed the voice and worked the box open. Tipping it ever so gently, the ashes came out of the box and were carried by the wind.

 

"Take good care of him for me, Loxley."


End file.
